Freeze This Food

Can You Freeze Bone Broth?

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Illustration of bone broth

Yes — freezing is the natural home for a big batch of bone broth, since it only keeps three or four days in the fridge. The keys are cooling it fast before it goes in, and portioning it so you can grab exactly what a recipe needs. Frozen in cubes, jars, or flat bags it holds its quality for four to six months.

Can you freeze bone broth?

Yes — it freezes well
How long it keeps frozen
About 4 to 6 months for best qualityA practical window for frozen homemade stock and broth. Kept unbroken at 0 °F (−18 °C) it stays safe well beyond that; the savoury depth simply fades and it can pick up freezer odours over time.
How to freeze it
  1. Cool the broth quickly — set the pot in an ice-water bath or divide it into shallow containers — so it spends as little time warm as possible.
  2. Skim off any surface fat once chilled, then portion it into ice-cube trays, muffin tins, jars, or flat bags.
  3. Leave headspace in any rigid container, since liquid expands as it freezes and can crack a full jar.
  4. Freeze cubes or pucks until solid, then bag them loose; label every portion with the size and date.
How to thaw & use
Drop frozen cubes or pucks straight into a hot pan, soup, or sauce — no thawing needed. For a larger jar, thaw it overnight in the fridge, then bring it to a rolling boil before using it in cooking.
Texture & quality
Broth freezes almost perfectly, with no real texture penalty — the gelatine that makes good bone broth set in the fridge melts back smoothly when reheated. The only quirks are leaving room for expansion so jars don't crack, and sealing it well so the mild flavour doesn't absorb other freezer smells. Always reheat thawed broth to a full boil.

More in this group: Freezing meat & fish

Frequently asked questions

What's the best way to freeze bone broth in portions?

Match the portion to how you cook. Freeze concentrated broth in ice-cube trays for splashes into pans, in muffin tins for half-cup pucks, or in flat zip-top bags laid down to freeze thin — they stack like files and thaw in minutes when stood in warm water.

Why does my frozen broth jar crack?

Liquid expands as it freezes, and a jar filled to the brim has nowhere to give. Leave a good inch of headspace, use straight-sided jars rather than shouldered ones, and let the broth freeze with the lid loose, then tighten it once solid.

Do you need to boil thawed bone broth?

Yes — bring thawed broth to a rolling boil before using it, as you would any reheated liquid, to be safe. Cubes dropped straight into a simmering dish heat through as the dish cooks, which covers it; just make sure the finished dish is piping hot.

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